昆 (kūn) is a Chinese character meaning “insect (as in 昆虫)”. It is written from 日 (sun; day) and 比 (to compare; two figures side by side), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “insect”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
日 + 比
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿱日比，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–3 为「日」（4 画），笔画 4–7 为「比」（4 画），合计 8 画
Memory aid
The sun (日) overhead, and under it two identical figures lined up side by side (比). Insects always come in look-alike crowds under the daylight.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 昆虫kūn chónginsect昆 = kūn
- 昆仑kūn lúnKunlun (mountain range in western China)昆 = kūn
Go deeper
All readings
insect; elder brother
insect (as in 昆虫); elder brother; also a syllable in place names such as 昆仑
指昆虫一类的小动物；也表示兄长（昆仲）。还用于「昆仑」等地名。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 昆虫kūn chónginsect昆 = kūn
- 昆仑kūn lúnKunlun (mountain range in western China)昆 = kūn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 昆 mean?
昆 (kūn) means insect (as in 昆虫); elder brother; also a syllable in place names such as 昆仑.
How do you pronounce 昆?
It is pronounced kūn.
What parts is 昆 made of?
日 (sun; day) and 比 (to compare; two figures side by side), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿱日比，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–3 为「日」（4 画），笔画 4–7 为「比」（4 画），合计 8 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 昆 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 昆?
日. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 昆?
Common ones are 昆虫 and 昆仑. The reading of 昆 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.